I've been following the forum for a long time, and thought I'd register an account and start a journal to track my corny "new years resolution" of getting back in shape.

The back story to me is that I've been bodybuilding training on and off as well as participating in lots of other (all contact) sports for most of my life, but for the last ten years it's been pretty inconsistent for one reason or another with little attention to my diet for any longer than a couple of weeks at a time. I'm fast approaching 40 now and have compiled a catalogue of injuries including a torn pec and bicep, torn rotator cuff, torn hamstring (twice), torn meniscus (repaired through surgery), broken metatarsal, fractured elbow and ruptured elbow tendon and a fractured tailbone. I'm currently shipping a bulging disk in the lower back which I am having treatment for. So, basically I've beaten myself up pretty well over the last 20 years and now struggle with a lot of my training which has been in a gradual downward spiral for the last few years due to a number of factors (work, family commitments, injuries and at times just plain laziness if I'm honest).

Bodyweight wise, I've been "in shape" for various sports at a bodyweight of between 12 (in my younger years) and 14 stone (in my early 30's) over the years, but weighed in today at a cringeworthy 18st 11lb at just under 5'9'' which although probably includes a couple of pounds of festive bloat is a good 4 stone over what I need to be at best.

So after promising myself way too many times I'll get "back on the horse", it's finally time for a change.

The training schedule I've settled on is an old school "push pull legs" split, training 3 times per week. I have a horrid habit of overthinking my training, and chopping and changing my routines too frequently but in all honesty the approach I've chosen is one which has always been productive for me and on that I have always returned to over the years. I won't be posting any training poundages for now, as they are nothing to write home about so I'd rather keep them to myself. Not being a big fan of volume training, I'll keep the workouts short and sweet and use the extra time to get my cardio in.

I still coach at a sports club one night per week, and will be getting a little more involved in the physical activity there as opposed to just barking orders from the sidelines.

Eating wise, I have paid very little attention to my eating habits for some time which has accounted for the vast majority of my weight gain. So, to begin with I won't over stress the technicalities of the nutrition aspect. I'm going to eat "clean" 4 or 5 times per day, eliminating processed sugar and general "junk" food from my daily diet, make a point of upping my water intake and most importantly for me making sure I don't miss or go too long between meals as this is when I tend to "crash" and binge eat on inappropriate foods.

Overall I know that what I've set out for myself is not as exciting as some of the training and diet plans I read on here, but I need something sustainable and to leave my habit of comparing myself to others behind. This is about "me vs me" and it's a battle I am determined to win this time, having embarked on a number of aborted attempts to get back in shape over the last few years.

My starting goals? No workouts missed or slips on the eating plan, no excuses. I've pressured myself with weight loss and strength gain goals too much in the past and if I've missed them for one reason or another have become frustrated, self loathed, thrown the towel in and reached for the beer and cake. So, my attitude this time is just to get it right day by day, keep enjoying what I'm doing and let the results come.

Thanks all. Looking forward to getting things rolling. Not wanting to stray from being corny, I'll put the plan in action on Monday once the last of the festive junk food has been eaten.

Training wise, I've done moderate push and pull days this week just to get moving again as I've had 3 weeks of complete inactivity after blowing my back (resulting in the bulging disk diagnosis).

I have trained almost exclusively at home for the last few years after investing in a basic setup, but seeing as I have to lay off the squats and deadlifts for a while (which I am normally a stickler for) I have just taken out a membership to a local chain gym just so I can get in once a week and get a machine based leg session done. Hopefully, the back will hold up to my pull workouts well enough so that I won't have to frequent the place more often than that.

Good luck to you all too in your goals and journals. I'll be following.

Dinner (just before 9pm) - 200g baked chicken breast (with some gym chef seasoning I bought at a UKDFBA show last year), about 250g potato, steamed broccoli and carrots. Ate it all bar a little bit of chicken that I shared with my cat.

I'll go to bed at about 11, and doubt I'll be able to eat anything else before that. Will do something similar tomorrow, maybe replacing the banana with some nuts in the afternoon and less carbs with dinner as I'm not training (but will be coaching). Maybe a bed time scoop of whey with some peanut butter perhaps.

Drank as normal, with an additional 3 pints of water through the day at work, which is where I'm most prone to neglect drinking regularly.

Training: (decided to come clean with my poundages, so I can look back on them later. After all, it's me vs me!)

Set the cross trainer for ten minutes. Threw in the towel after 6. It was the first time I used it and it's a lot tougher than the gym ones I've used before and was starting to feel it in my hip and lower back on the side which troubles me. Plus, I'm very unfit at the moment.

Weights wise, I've chosen to train Max OT style. So, warm up sets and an "acclimation" set on the first exercise and just the acclimation set on subsequent exercises. Then, 2 work sets to positive failure. I always did well on this type of training before.

Seated Side Laterals - 7.5's x 10,9Seated Dumbbell Press - 15's x 8,6(by this time, my left pec and shoulder were bunched up like nobodies business)

Tricep Pushdowns - 20kg x 10,7 (I have a plate loaded lat machine which is very "heavy" compared to the ones with stacks I've used)

Finished with a good stretch. Much needed. I'd had a session at the chiropractor straight from work so was really careful with my form (which I'd say I keep textbook on pretty much everything) and adopted a pretty controlled rep cadence, particularly the positive which really helps things feel heavier than they are. I could probably go a little heavier if I were more explosive but I'm more interested in watching the joints and feeling the reps.

Like I said, coaching tomorrow so will join in a basic calisthenic type warmup and will have a good stretch. Wednesday will be off due to a regular family commitment so will be training "pull" on Thursday.

Day 2 eating went as planned up to mid afternoon, but had a bit of a family obligation pop up after work so didn't have time for dinner before coaching so had a protein bar on the run. Finally ate dinner at about 9.45 when I got home, which consisted of a 4 whole egg omelette with mushrooms and tomatoes chopped in it, and 2 small slices of wholewheat bread.

I look at that list now buddy and realise that I have! It's been fun though. Apart from playing rugby at a decent level when I was younger and at a modest level in my early 30's and training for a powerlifting meet once (ill advised, as I've never been known for my strength) which is when I shredded my knee locking out too hard on a squat, I've been into Martial Arts along with my bodybuilding stuff. Anything full contact and I'll have a dabble. Kickboxing, K1, MMA, Judo and BJJ. Mixed performances with each, but fairly consistent with the injuries each have bestowed

Slept terribly last night which only amplified the need for a rest day today. Food wise, breakfast and lunch the same but both half an hour later as I was lagging behind from the get go today. Protein bar mid afternoon as I wasn't very hungry, then 3 oatcakes with 100g cottage cheese about an hour later. At my last meal at 9pm which was 150g steak mince made into a bolognese type sauce with canned tomatoes, chopped mushroom and pepper and some herbs. Had that with just shy of 100g pasta.

Again, nothing earth shattering but way better than the 2-3 chocolate bars, full pack of biscuits and minimum of 1 takeaway per day I was scoffing before Christmas.

I did all of my reps at a very slow cadence, especially the eccentric portion as I was wary of my back, and performed my curls simultaneously as opposed to the usual alternate style as I didn't want to work my weak side on it's own. The one arm rows still really bugged my right side so I'll probably do these face down on the bench, two armed next week.

Another session at the Chiropractor tomorrow, then legs at the dreaded chain gym on Saturday......

No training today, but a decent session with the Chiropractor. Really looking forward to training legs tomorrow for the first time in a while.

Food wise, same breakfast and lunch (9am/1pm), quark and a handful of mixed nuts mid afternoon then about 200g steak, 200g baked potato and some mushrooms tonight.

Weekends are notorious for diet slips for me. Not necessarily just eating junk etc, but without the structure of work start, break and finish times to remind me it's time to eat I've been known to go from breakfast to late afternoon without eating while buzzing around doing one thing or another and then having a massive crash and reaching for the first thing I can lay my hands on. So, tomorrow I'm set on staying with my meals and timings of the week. Sunday, I'll get the 4-5 meals in but probably change a few food choices. No "cheats" or straying from the rough calories and macros I'm eating at the moment (although I must think about actually working them out at some point and will possibly discover they're not where I imagined they might be, but again as long as I'm feeling ok and progressing I doubt I'll care much).

Once through the weekend, I'll stop boring those of you following with my daily food intake as it's likely to stay pretty similar for the forseeable (provided the weight is coming off bit by bit and my workouts are going well). If I add another meal (possibly bed time at some point), change my meal times or plan a cheat meal sometime (which I have no urge, need or excuse for at the moment) then I'll log it just so I can refer back to it at a later date.

Breakfast (10am), as all week. Lunch (2.30pm), can of tuna and 100g noodles. PWO Shake (5pm).

Dinner (7ish) - 200g chicken breast, 300g potato made in the air fryer. Handful of chopped mushrooms, same of red pepper, 1/2 can tomoatoes and 40g low fat cheese used to make a topping for the chicken (on of the wifes slimming world recipies which is really nice). I'll finish on a serving of USN Protein Dessert in about half an hour.

Training:

Worked legs at the "new" gym today. In fact, it is new as it only opened on Wednesday. Was a bit odd training in such a place, as I've pretty much only ever used "hardcore" gyms and mine and a few friends home set-ups. It fitted the usual chain gym stereotype, with it's selection of expected characters including a good handful of people who were clearly starting out and seemed a bit out of their element. I'm not one to grumble about these guys, and genuinely want to see them succeed and admire their grit in starting out. I remember how daunting it was the first time I walked into a gym and know how much bottle it takes. It dawned on me at this point that part of the reason I had chosen this place was because I was maybe a little embarrassed to return to one of the hardcore gyms in the area in the shape I'm in.

Then I remembered it was actually because the membership was only £10 a month and I'm tightwad

Joking aside though, I remember the days when I was in great shape and deadly serious about my training and would roll my eyes when a beginner came into the gym. Made me realise how much more positive and encouraging I could have been back then, and how far my attitude towards everything had evolved over the years.

Anyway, I digress....

Quick warmup on the crosstrainer. Decent pace until my heart rate was up and was perspiring very slightly.

45 degree leg press - A few dry sets with the carriage (which was pretty heavy on its own) to work out which seat and foot position was best on my back, then 1,1,2,3,4 plates per side. Rested very little between sets and made ten reps on my last set. Legs were like jelly after that as it was the first time I'd done any legs in over a month.

Wanted to do leg curls next. Apparently, both of the leg curl machines advertised in the gym inventory online are awaiting delivery. Strangely, all of the chest and arm machines were present. You get what you pay for I guess......

So I moved on to calf raises on a hip sled type piece they had which was pretty good. Got 2 decent sets in with about half the stack.

Tried to Hack Squat next. Did one set with just the empty carriage which weighed a ton! Did ten reps but my back didn't approve so binned them.

Finished with 2 very light and slow sets of sldl with a single kettlebell, as it allowed the weight to stay between my legs and reduced forward lean. Really felt them, and glad I experimented. At least I felt my hamstrings got some attention at least.

Next week, will stick to press, extension, curl (if the kit arrives by then) and calf raise as these are the movements I think I can get away with for now.

Joking aside though, I remember the days when I was in great shape and deadly serious about my training and would roll my eyes when a beginner came into the gym. Made me realise how much more positive and encouraging I could have been back then, and how far my attitude towards everything had evolved over the years.

I wonder how being positive and encouraging would be received today? My perception is that gyms have become much colder, more unfriendly places in the last 20 years. The advent of smartphones means 24/7 communication with an existing social circle, which in turn means that interacting with strangers is seen as an unnecessary risk. Today, many people's default reaction to a friendly stranger is one of discomfort and suspicion. They just want to get back to their own secure, familiar bubble.